Mary Anne Reilly began studies in painting at the age of nine in after-school sessions with noted commercial NY artist, Anne Hemmerich. In early high school, she studied watercolor and drawing at the Corcoran School of Art, Washington, D.C., in summer sessions. In the 1970's, she attended the University of Dayton, Ohio, where she received a BFA in 1975, with a major in painting. Noted Mentor: Dr. Bernard Plogman. In 1973-74 she studied Renaissance Art at the Louvre in Paris. She also studied art at Schiller College, Paris, France, where she received the Rene Cassin Award. She worked in African art studies at Schiller and in printmaking at the Montparnasse Atelier 14 of Rodney Abrahamson, a direct student and assistant of Ferdinand Leger, where she met Stanley Hayter, internationally known as the "Father of Engraving." She had independent instruction with Washington colorist, Leon Berkowitz at his studio on Kalorama Street in the Adams Morgan section of Washington, D.C.. She also worked and had studies in lithography with noted master printmakers, David Adamson of Adamson Gallery, Scip Barnhart of George Washington University, Jan Mehn at Pyramid Atlantic and Gene Fredericks at the Corcoran School of Art.